1) You do you such an amazing job demystifying Asian cuisines for people who are new to cooking it like me. What is the first thing you tell someone when they express doubt that they can cook authentic Asian dishes at home?

Cooking Asian food is so incredibly easy! Even with just soy sauce, garlic, ginger and green onion — items that you can get at any grocery store, you can create any type of stir fry. What makes Asian cooking so easy is that most dishes are either a stir-fry or a simmer on the stove that can go from cutting board to table in about half an hour.

2) What inspired you to take a more healthy angle with this book?

While there are so many great Asian restaurants, there are just as many bad ones where everything is deep fried and covered in goopy sauce. I wanted to show people that Asian style, everyday home cooking is healthy, simple and clean. I grew up with Mom’s wonderful Chinese meals that were always light, yet so full of flavor from using fresh herbs and spices. I wanted to share that with people!

3) We’ve spoken in person about writing books before. What is your favorite part about the book writing process? What is your biggest challenge?

My favorite part is collaborating with my recipe testing team! Once recipes are created, they are tested over and over again by a testing team, volunteers who are average home cooks from all over the world. I get feedback and collaborate with them on refining the recipe….they are so helpful and creative!

The biggest challenge is the editing process -it’s a long process of laboring over every single sentence, punctuation and word choice!

4) As you continue to blog and write books do you find your cooking style is evolving? How do you manage to keep your work fresh and relevant after so many years? You are an inspiration!

Thank you! We have kept Steamy Kitchen going strong for 6 years now! I used to run the site by myself (which was really lonely sometimes) but starting 3 years ago, Scott began working with me full time (he’s a web developer) and the kids also became interested. There’s always so much inspiration when we work together as a family.

5) You are responsible for introducing so many of us to popular Asian dishes would never have otherwise encountered. What are some of your favorite dishes in this book that you couldn’t wait to share with the world?

We love the “SHARE” chapter! These are recipes that are cooked at the table, where every single person is involved in making their own food! There’s Sushi Handroll Parties, Korean BBQ, Chinese and Japanese hot pots (think of it like Asian style fondue but with broth instead of cheese). It’s so crazy fun and so much action at the table! To us, this is what eating together should be about.

6) Given all the cooking and photography you do – do you ever get stuck in a cooking rut? If so – what do you do to get out of it?

YES. I do get in ruts, but it’s mostly around the blogging administrative aspects of what I do. There’s a lot of typing, editing recipes, editing video. Three years ago, I began hiring a part time assistant to help me out with that. It keeps me in the kitchen, which is awesome. I never get tired of cooking!

7) What is next for Steamy Kitchen? I hope you say you are working on the next book!

More videos! For the past 8 months, I’ve been publishing a video with every single recipe. We’ve been working hard building a big video archive. I’d also like to write several single subject e-books with video too!

Scott is building an aquaponics garden where we are experimenting growing fish alongside the garden. The fish poop feed the garden, the plants cleanse the water that goes back to the fish. So far, we’ve got 125 baby Koi fish happily swimming in a giant tank in our backyard and tons of healthy vegetables, using no chemicals

Thanks for stopping by Jayden!

To win a copy of Steamy Kitchen’s new book:

1) Leave a comment sharing what Asian dish you would love to learn to make.

2) Subscribe to Kelsey Banfield on Facebook.

3) Contest runs from May 8th at 7am through May 15th at 7am. Winner will be announced in the May 17th newsletter. Good luck!

Cecilia

I’d love to learn to make spring rolls with peanut sauce.

Sarah Hawkins-Pinchers

I would like to learn how to make steamed dumplings!

JSmyth

Steamed Dumplings!!!! My favorite!

http://twitter.com/ilonat ilona t

Pad Thai!

Shoshanna

Steamed dumplings!

Christine Mayfield

I would love to learn how to make pancit. My friend taught me how to make lumpia yet we never got around to making pancit.

Christine Mayfield

I am a FB subscriber

Beth Reisfeld

I would LOVE to learn to make pho. My roommate in college introduced me to it!

Jacqui

I have always wanted to learn how to make Pad Thai!

Jacqui

I am subscribed to Kelsey Banfield on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/AMBaby Alice Mizer

I would love to learn to make peanut sauce! Love that stuff!

http://www.facebook.com/AMBaby Alice Mizer

I follow you on FB

http://www.facebook.com/amy.wels Amy Wels

I would love to learn to make authentic Pad Thai

miranda

I’d like to make dumplings

miranda

FB subscriber

Amanda Thompson

I would love to learn how to make General Tso’s Chicken for my husband!

Heather

Soup dumplings!

Heather

A FB follower.

http://www.facebook.com/GregAllbee Greg Allbee

I’ve been wanting to make a vegan pho for a while now!

Meryl

Sesame Chicken.

Louis

Shrimp with beansprouts.

Karen Lynch

I love Moo goo gai pan, would love to learn to make at home.

Karen Lynch

I follow on Facebook.

http://twitter.com/willyandsmokey ashley shields

I would love to learn how to make pad thai that tastes like the stuff you find in little hole in the wall mom and pop restaurants.

Christina C

dumplings!

Christina C

Facebook subscriber! (christina cosman)

Wendy T.

Following you on FB, I love to make some chinese chicken wings right now.

Jennifer A.

I would love to learn how to make Pad See Yoo

Jennifer A.

I subscribe to you on FB.

sara

I would love to learn to make potstickers.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1342983588 Paulina Vincent

I would love to make my own noodles from scratch (I’ve seen it done, and it blows my mind how much technique goes into it), as my husband goes through various noodle dishes within at a rate of twice a day. I’ve been subscribed on FB for a while.